3-Year-Old Denied Heart Transplant By Three Countries As His Parents Were Unvaccinated

A three-year-old Cyprus boy, who required an urgent heart transplant surgery, was denied treatment by hospitals in Germany, the U.K, and Israel as his parents were unvaccinated. The child, whose identity has not been revealed, was finally taken in by Greece, where he is now awaiting surgery, reported Politico.

The boy was first hospitalized last week with a serious heart condition in Cyprus. As the surgery couldn't be conducted in Cypriot hospitals, the country's health ministry decided to approach Germany. A decision was taken to fly him to Frankfurt via air ambulance last Thursday.

Before the transfer, however, the Frankfurt hospital informed the Cypriot authorities Wednesday that the surgery cannot be performed in Germany. The reason cited was that the boy's parents have not been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Though Cyprus suggested the child could be accompanied by a legal guardian, the hospital did not agree. The hospital reportedly held firm to its policy that all children undergoing such procedures must be accompanied by their guardians.

The Cypriot authorities then approached hospitals in the United Kingdom and Israel but were turned down for the same reason.

Though his parents agreed to become inoculated, it would need six weeks before they could be considered fully vaccinated and the child required immediate medical attention.

"I know that unvaccinated patients are admitted to hospitals in Germany," the boy's father, Alexey Matveev was quoted by Politico. "I didn't know that I had to be vaccinated for my child being to be operated on in that hospital. If I knew it of course I would have done it ... I am healthy and did not want to be vaccinated. I find it inappropriate for someone who is healthy to be vaccinated," he added.

The Cypriot officials said they had informed the parents ahead of time of the need to get jabbed. The officials reportedly suggested the parents get the single dose J&J vaccine, to speed up the process, but they refused.

Fortunately, Greece agreed to take in the child, who was flown into Athens Saturday afternoon. He has been admitted to the pediatric clinic of the Mitera Hospital under Dr. Giorgos Sarris, as per Greek Reporter.

The hospital authorities later said that both the parents have since received the first shot of a two-dose vaccine.

This comes amid recent incidents wherein patients are denied surgery for refusing to get jabbed. Recently, a hospital in Boston was in the news after it refused to perform a heart transplant on a patient who had not been vaccinated for COVID-19. Though the patient's father alleged that his 31-year-old son has been to the "edge of death" and "pushed to the limit" waiting for a heart transplant, the spokeswoman for Brigham and Women's Hospital said vaccination is "required" for organ transplant recipients under their care.